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Australia

Forrestania Operation

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Australia

Forrestania Operation

Location: 369 km E from Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Address:

Suite 4, Level 5 South Shore Centre 85 South Perth Esplanade
Perth
Western Australia, Australia
6151

Contacts:

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Nickel
Mining Method
  • Longhole open stoping
  • Avoca
Backfill type ... Lock
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Forrestania Operation nickel deposit is located 400km east of Perth, Western Australia and includes two underground mines, Flying Fox and Spotted Quoll, and the Cosmic Boy processing facility.
Related AssetsFlying Fox Mine, Spotted Quoll Mine

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
IGO Ltd. 100 % Indirect
On 20 June 2022, IGO Limited acquired 100% of the issued capital of Western Areas Limited. Western Areas was an ASX listed Australian-based mining and exploration company with a portfolio of operating and development stage mines. It owns a 100% interest in the Forrestania Operation (consisting of the Flying Fox and Spotted Quoll underground mines and the Cosmic Boy processing facility) and the Cosmos Project, both located in Western Australia, together with a substantial exploration portfolio.

Contractors

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SourceSource

Deposit type

  • VMS

Summary:

The Forrestania Greenstone Belt forms the southern extension of the Southern Cross Greenstone Belt, a 400km long arcuate belt of ~2.9Ga greenstone sequences bounded by Archaean granite-gneissic units of the Yilgarn Craton.

The Forrestania Greenstone Belt comprises two main lithological associations; a lower sequence of basalt-ultramaficBanded Iron Formation (BIF) ± metasediments, and an upper sequence of predominately finely laminated siltstones, shales and felsic metasediments. Up to six belts of ultramafic rock-types are recognised in the lower association, and the strike length of individual belts ranges from 20 to 90km. The ultramafic belts comprise komatiite sequences that show a wide variety of volcanic flow facies environments, including thick sequences of olivine adcumulate to mesocumulate hosted nickel deposits (Eastern Ultramafic Belt; hosting the Fireball, Diggers and Cosmic Boy deposits), channelised flow sequences with bounding flanking flow facies (Western Ultramafic Belt; hosting the Flying Fox, Spotted Quoll, New Morning/Daybreak and Willy Willy deposits and prospects), and thin spinifextextured flow units (Eastern Ultramafic Belt; hosting the Hang Dog and Emu Heights prospects). The ultramafic belts have mostly steep dips, some of which are locally overturned such as the Eastern Ultramafic Belt south of the Purple Haze Prospect. Five of the six ultramafic belts face west, with only the western belt facing east. Nickel deposits and occurrences are restricted to the Eastern and Western Ultramafic belts.

The Flying Fox deposit is mainly located along the traditional footwall of the basal ultramafic metasediment contact, which was the original locus for sulphide deposition from an overlying pile of komatiite flows. Subsequent metamorphism, deformation, and intrusion of granitoid sills have contributed to a complex setting, with mineralisation now occupying a possible shear zone.

The Spotted Quoll deposit is located within the traditional footwall of the basal ultramafic metasediment contact, which was probably the original locus for sulphide deposition from an overlying pile of komatiite flows. Subsequent metamorphism, deformation, and intrusion of granitoid sills has contributed to a complex setting, with mineralisation now occupying a possible shear zone within the footwall sediments, 15-20m (stratigraphical) beneath the basalt/ultramafic contact.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits2024202320222020201920182017
Nickel t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe21,67521,06023,005
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics20212020201920182017
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe550,000 t550,000 t
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe556,002 t607,120 t591,778 t
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe610,487 t616,598 t617,808 t

Production Costs

CommodityUnits202420232020201920182017
Credits (by-product) Nickel AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -0.03 / lb   -0.03 / lb   -0.03 / lb  
Cash costs Nickel AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2.98 / lb **   2.63 / lb **   2.38 / lb **  
Total cash costs Nickel AUD  ....  Subscribe
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Nickel AUD  ....  Subscribe
^ Guidance / Forecast.
** Net of By-Product.

Financials

Units20232020201920182017
Capital expenditures (planned) M AUD  ....  Subscribe
Revenue M AUD  ....  Subscribe 268.7   248.3   213.9  
Pre-tax Income M AUD  ....  Subscribe 19   17.2   17.4  
After-tax Income M AUD  ....  Subscribe 14.2   11.8   19.3  
EBIT M AUD  ....  Subscribe 20.6   18.5   18.6  
EBITDA M AUD  ....  Subscribe 80.8   248.3   84.9  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 18, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 18, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 18, 2024

Aerial view:

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